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Finance Minister touts innovative ideas to reduce youth unemployment
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan
While Guyana’s youth unemployment stands at 40 %, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan says that innovative ideas and the initiation of small businesses can contribute to a reduction of the unemployment rate.
Addressing a press briefing at the Ministry of Finance yesterday, the Minister noted that youth unemployment is a challenge in Guyana and throughout the Caribbean.
“If you went to United States it is difficult to get a job even if you went to a University. You would probably seek work as a security if you could get it, or try to get work at Mc Donald’s or one of these other places and you’ll try to do it quickly because you have to pay for everything.
“But when you are in Guyana and graduate from U.G you won’t be looking for a job in a restaurant. You‘ll be looking for a deal right job, “Jordan stated.
Jordan noted, “Too many young people are looking for traditional jobs. People graduate with a degree in economics and begin to call themselves economists and so on; this business is like any other. Doctors don’t call themselves doctors because they graduate with an M.D…“ He said that instead of looking for work in the traditional fields, job seekers should use the time to be innovative.
“You can go to the small business place take a loan, start a business and put that degree to work.”
During last week’s edition of the TV programme “Public Interest”, President David Granger had noted that employment is not something that the populace should look to the government to provide.
The President instead recommended that job seekers look beyond Government jobs and aim to be creators of their own wealth.
“I would discourage young people from seeking state employment because it is what one person once called employee poverty. The salaries are low and the possibilities are limited but an educated person is more likely to be innovative.
“So there are many fields educated people can go into…so young entrepreneurs who are innovative and who can access information technology are likely to move ahead. Government can become facilitators in these fields,” Granger proposed.
In addition to creating the enabling environment for the creation of jobs, President Granger believes that young people can also expect efforts on the part of his Government, in the promotion and marketing of products, especially agricultural and value added products regionally.
However, the comments did not sit well with People Progressive Party/Civic, (PPP/C) Member of Parliament and former Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.
Nandlall noted Granger’s remarks must have shocked the most ardent supporter of the Coalition Government, given that in their election’s manifesto and on many of their billboards around the country, the new government had promised jobs.
“After all, the creation of jobs, especially, for young people, was one of the major planks of the APNU-AFC platform promises. In their 2015 Election’s Manifesto, the APNU-AFC promised, “The aim of your new government is to create jobs, jobs and more jobs in the shortest time possible. Our young people cannot wait “five more years” for jobs for which they could be adequately trained and get better pay and greater job satisfaction.”
Nandlall believes that it is the undoubted responsibility of a government to create jobs, directly, as well as, indirectly.
He posited that governments create jobs, directly, through the pursuit of policies and projects specifically designed to create jobs; through the expansion of the public sector; through the expansion of state institutions; through the expansion of state-offered services; through capital/infrastructural projects and via various other government-driven initiatives.
“Indirectly, it is the government’s duty to create the type of environment that will conduce to the growth and expansion of the private sector, and the attraction of local and foreign investments that will ineluctably lead to the creation of jobs and proliferation of job- creating opportunities.
“President Granger is perhaps the first head of state who does not view job creation as an obligation of government.”
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